Nitro explosives pentaerythritol tetranitrate

Nitrogen-explosive compounds usually analysed by CL may be classified under three structural categories (i) nitroaromatic compounds, (ii) nitrate esters and (iii) nitramines. Examples of nitro-substituted hydrocarbons are nitromethane, trinitrobenzene (TNB), trinitrotoluene (TNT) and pentantiroaniline. Nitroglycerine (NG), ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) are nitrate esters [5], The nitro-explosive compounds that are the result of the presence of nitro and nitrate groups can... 

Naoum patented a pourable explosive obtained by mixing pentaerythritol tetranitrate (at least 50 per cent) and aromatic nitro compounds, especially TNT. 

One may mention the relative lack of information on the possible toxicity mechanisms of other groups of explosives. The administration of hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine (RDX 30-300 mg kg-1 daily for 13 weeks) to rats caused hypotriglycidire-mia, convulsions, and death [4], In contrast, pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN 0.5%-1.0% in standard diet for 13 weeks) was nontoxic to rats [80], RDX was much less cytotoxic to V79 and TK-6 mammalian cell cultures than TNT [9], There also are very few data on their reactions with mammalian enzymes. Rabbit liver cytochrome P-450 2B4 (EC 1.14.14.1) converted RDX into 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal, two nitrite ions, ammonium, and formaldehyde, consuming one equivalent NADPH [81]. However, it is unclear whether this slow reaction (kcat < 0.01 s-1) may contribute to the toxicity of RDX. Xanthine oxidase transformed octohydro-l,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) at a lower rate, 10.5 nmol h 1 mg 1 protein under anaerobic conditions, into nitrite, formaldehyde, nitrous oxide, formic acid, and ammonium [82], Our preliminary observations show that RDX was much less reactive substrate for P-450R and E. cloacae NR than NTO or ANTA [53], Thus, the mechanisms underlying toxicity of RDX remain undisclosed. 

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